AFA-NIET HISTORY.

• Author: Yates, Guy
• Position: American Forensic Association-National Individual Events Tournament

During the early years of the American Forensic Association, debate was the primary focus of emphasis. In the 1960s, the increasing number of individual events programs began to be noticed across the nation. This seemed to cause a sense of division within the forensic community between debate and individual events interests. Unhappy with the AFA's focus on debate, several people formed the National Forensic Association (NFL), which held a national individual events tournament in 1971. Concerned about the splintering within the forensic community, the leadership of the AFA took steps in the summer of 1972 to begin addressing the division.

In 1972, Jerry Anderson, the AFA president, called for a planning meeting of new officers (Scott Nobles, James Weaver, and Larry Larmer) in St. Paul, Minnesota. This meeting set a major goal to diversify the AFA to serve a broader constituency in order to unite a divided profession (debate vs. individual events) and to promote individual events as well as debate in various formats. During this same year, Anderson proposed a constitutional change to define and broaden the AFA's purpose to include individual events. The change was adopted in 1973 (JAFA, Winter 1973, p. 390).

As a result of discussions between E. R. Tame, Chair of the Educational Policies Committee, and Jerry Anderson, a proposal was put forth to consider the possibility of developing more emphasis on individual speaking events and to have another national championship tournament beyond the debate tournament sponsored by AFA (JAFA, Winter, 1973, p. 385). The beginnings of the present AFA-NIET can be traced to these early efforts by Jerry Anderson and E. R. Tame. The membership of the AFA voted in 1973 to create the AFA Committee on Individual Events, and in 1974 the committee was appointed.

In November, 1974, Scott Nobles, President of the AFA, and Jack Rhodes, Chairperson of the AFA Committee on Individual Events, established the following subcommittees: Journal Coverage: Jean Ward (Lewis and Clark College), Linda Church (Lowell High School), Larry Schnoor (Mankato State College). Judging Criteria and Guidelines: Ronald Baugh (Stetson University), Linda Church (Lowell High School), Penny Byrne (University of Texas, El Paso). Standardized Contest Rules: Jack Howe (California State University, Long Beach), Penny Byrne (University of Texas, El Paso), Michael Leiboff (Mansfield State College), Wayne Wall (Marietta College), Seth Hawkins (Southern Connecticut State College). Tournament Management and Guidelines: Seth Hawkins (Southern Connecticut State College), Jack Howe (California State University, Long Beach), Michael Leiboff (Mansfield State College). G. H. Sanders (College of Wooster) of the Educational Practices Committee, was an ex-officio member of the sub-committees.

From 1974 to 1975, no action was taken on the establishment of any national individual events tournament. In July, 1976, James Weaver assumed the presidency of AFA and announced that the NIET would be a high priority. He appointed Larry Schnoor (Mankato State University) as Chair of the National Individual Events Tournament Committee. Other members of the committee included: Jack Howe (Long Beach State University), Jean Ward (Lewis and Clark University), Don Nichols (Odessa College), Alice Jaswal (Nebraska Wesleyan University), James Benson (Ball State University), Gary Coulter (Stanford University)...